Sol Latino Spanish School

I enjoyed spending 4 weeks learning Spanish at Sol from the wonderful Caty! I knew about 10 words before the lessons. In 4 weeks we covered the major verbs, vocabulary and grammar sufficiently for me to have (and understand) conversations. Orlando, the manager, was really kind and arranged a tour of the city and some field trips in students' areas of interest. We were also free to pursue trips around Xela and the area, and we had a great time doing things and learning Spanish at the same time! ( Please see attached photos!)

The school and its' talented instructors are supportive of individual student's learning needs and pace. Visual, auditory and hands on experiential methods were used effectively. During my time at Sol (December 2023, a quieter time), there were still students from 5 or 6 different countries, studying from 1 week to 8 week durations.

Everyone at Sol is attentive and has student's needs at the heart of what they do. The instructors are friendly and personable. Ask questions and let them know what you are looking for in terms of Spanish language, field trips and accomodation and I'm sure that Josùe, Orlando and team will be able to help you have the experience of a lifetime!

If you are looking for a homestay, let them know what you are looking for in terms of comfort, privacy and food. The only take-away from a very positive experience for me was that I should have changed my homestay. There was a definite mismatch between my (high) expectations and the quality of the homestay (environment a bit dirty, tiny bedrooms, kitchen lacking amenities such as toaster and kettle for students to use as needed, poor quality and quantity of food, invasive, rude and overbearing behavior of host Rosa). I should have spoken up sooner, but I thought "ok, this is just the way it is here...." until I finally spoke to some other students about it and then the owner/manager.

Now I know that there are many options available, including small furnished apartments with cooking facilities for when I come back next time!

We had a great 2 weeks at Sol Latino Spanish School. Our maestra was Caty who is a brilliant teacher, she made learning fun through various activities throughout the week. Our home stay family were lovely and really welcoming. I would definitely recommend Sol Latino to anyone looking to start from scratch or improve their Spanish. 😊

I have really enjoyed learning Spanish at this school (my third in Xela)! Very responsive transportation help. Easy registration. An experienced teacher. Serious but fun co-students from Europe and the States. Highly recommended!

I’m very glad I chose to follow class at Some Latino. I was one on one with a very nice teacher for 5 days and I learned quite a lot. She couldn’t speak any English, what wasn’t always handy, but it made us have long conversations in Spanish (my Spanish was very basic when I started). It was possible for me to guide our lessons a bit to what I wanted to learn.
The homestay was super, I stayed with the family of Elvia Bercian. I got 3 meals a day and it was also good and healthy food. I had my own private room and got a lot of privacy. The family was very nice and it really felt like home.
I’m very content with my choice, especially with that (cheap) price.

I had a great experience at So Latino, I immediately felt welcomed and everyone was so kind, helpful, and supportive. My teacher Magdony listened to the areas I wanted help in and did a great job planning lessons around that. The school does a good job helping students with things outside of the school, such as volunteer opportunities and recommendations on places to go. They have activities a few days a week such as tours, making chocolate from scratch, watching movies, weaving, and more. I definitely recommend So Latino.

We took 4h lessons for five days in early February 2024. We worked 2 to 1 with our teacher and made huge progress. Thank you Marta.
We stayed with 'nuestra familia Guatemalteca' who were so very kind and supportive. Life was very simple, food basic but the family were so generous we were really sad to leave them.
Xela is real Guatemala; a busy city going about its daily business with very little regard for tourists. Certainly no Antigua, Guat. It's a great place to learn; not just language but Guatemalan life. I highly recommend this school.

I decided very last minute that I wanted to do a week of Spanish classes in Xela, and sol latino was so accommodating! They set up a wonderful home stay and I had a great teacher who even did lessons with me on a Saturday because my time was so short. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed my time in Xela. The Spanish lessons at Sol Latino were great. Teacher was serious, patient and friendly. I learned a lot in a week. The homestay was also great. The family was really sweet and wanted you to feel like home. A great experience, I would recommend!

I highly recommend Sol Latino. I filled out the registration on their website and was contacted by their coordinator Josue on WhatsApp. He set the homestay up and 5 hours of daily classes. He also connected me with a reputable company which picked me up at Guatemala Airport and took me directly to the doorstep of my Homestay.

In terms of the Homestay experience, I had an amazing time with Elvia’s family. I truly felt part of their family and they made me feel comfortable and included me in their lives. Elvia and her daughter went above and beyond to ensure I was comfortable and well fed. If you are looking to truly immerse yourself and feel part of a family, I highly recommend requesting Elvia’s home.

My teacher Sury was amazing. She has multiple degrees and is a certified Spanish teacher with decades of experience. Sury is excellent with students from zero experience to advanced. Our class time consisted of conversational skills (listening/speaking), grammar, and pretty much anything that I wanted to learn. I reviewed more Spanish with Sury in one MONTH than I did in 3 years of college courses. Sury was also awesome outside of class. She accompanied me to a nearby town so I could sight see and also learn some new vocabulary.

Please note that if you are coming to Guatemala from a developed country, do not expect accommodations to be at the same level as home. Guatemala is a developing country. It doesn’t matter what school, hotel, hostel, or homestay you choose.

Overall, my month at Sol Latino was well spent. I truly felt that at sol Latino the staff went above and beyond to ensure their students were taken care of. For example, any student who wasn’t feeling well or was going through something (medical, psychological, etc) the school took genuine care to ensure the student was taken care of. I would to return to Sol Latino
In a heartbeat knowing that I would be in good hands. ¡Muchísimas gracias a Sury y la familia de Elvia por un mes maravilloso!

I highly recommend Sol Latino for an amazing, educational, and unique experience. I spoke almost no Spanish when I arrived and quickly was able to navigate the city and get the most out of my time thanks to my and my partner's teachers and our homestay family.

Our teachers, Sury and Myrna, were absolutely fantastic—knowledgeable, passionate, and patient, and varied their teaching methods based on what we wanted/needed, which made learning enjoyable and engaging and just the right amount of challenging.

The homestay was comfortable, welcoming, and made our experience feel much more authentic and fun. We enjoyed the cultural experiences and excursions, which really helped deepen our understanding of culture in Guatemala and Xela.

Xela itself is a beautiful city that is near hikes, hot springs, and volcanoes (which you can climb safely). I highly recommend Sol Latino to anyone looking for a transformative Spanish learning adventure.

We also had lots of support from Josue, the coordinator, who was extremely accessible. I really appreciated being able to ask questions before and during the trip for tips, advice, and recommendations on being in Guatemala.

Spent two weeks in Xela learning Spanish. Rosa is the best host mom. Great experience. If you actually want to learn Spanish go to Xela and ask for Gilma - she is un poco loca, but the best. Gilma for presidente

Very wonderful experience learning Spanish here! The people were kind and very accommodating and my teachers Zury and Magdony were both very gracious and a tremendous help in my learning. I highly recommend this place!

I had a great time taking classes at Sol Latino. I loved my teacher, Carla! She was super patient and funny. I learned a lot. The homestay was also lovely. It would have been nice to have more activities throughout the week, but other than that I enjoyed my experience!

Just finished a weeks school and homestay. Excellent instruction in a comfortable environment. Homestay was nearby. Great family and convenient to school and all of old town Xela which is a cool place. First rate.

I really enjoyed my time with Sol Latino and my teacher Magdony. My teacher was brilliant - very engaging and understanding when I was struggling! The host family were lovely. I was glad to find other students staying with the family otherwise the experience may have been quite lonely and isolating.

Nice place to Study Spanish in Xela. Josue is a very qualified coordinator. And the teachers are the best.

Fantastic place to take Spanish lessons in Xela. The facilities are very basic, nothing fancy, but the quality of instruction and the value for the money are worth it, especially since all of the classes are private 1:1 tutoring. My teacher Alma was amazing and adapted the classes to my needs, focusing more in areas where I struggled and moving past subjects I was already comfortable with. I only took a week of classes 4 hours/day and I still feel like I learned a lot and improved quite a bit in just that time.

I had an amazing experience taking Spanish classes with Sol Latino. Josue is a great coordinator and was always quick to reply to my messages. My teacher made learning Spanish easy and fun. I also stayed with a host family which was very interesting to learn more about the culture and how the locals live. I would highly recommend Sol Latino if you’re interested in taking Spanish classes in Xela.

Excellent Spanish school in the Flores district of Xela . My teacher Alma was (and is) a really amazing teacher , also very funny and sweet. The school is run by Orlando who organises activities and oversees the lesson plans created by teachers on your first day. I highly recommend this school .

I had an incredible experience studying at Sol Latino, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning and/or refining their Spanish. If you are already an intermediate speaker, I recommend asking to study with Mario if he is available; he is a marvelous teacher and an enjoyable person to spend many hours face to face speaking with. Thanks to everyone at Sol Latino—I was made to feel incredibly welcome, and I certainly learned a ton.